Guide part 23

The man who made his debut in the Tekken series is back with a vengeance (and some cute purple pajamas). In the hands of an experienced player, Yoshi is quite possibly the most dangerous character in the entire game. While he can't really dish out easy damage like Cervantes can his mix-up games and wake-up games are so lethal that you might as well give up before the match even starts. What makes Yoshi so evil to play against is that he has great tools for every situation, not to mention he's quick as a bug. In order to beat him, players will have to keep a cool head and shut him down before he even starts. This is one character that you cannot allow to control the tempo of the match.

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Fast foot and attack speed

Deals moderate damage

High/Low game is extremely dangerous

Amazing throw game second only to Astaroth

No real weaknesses

Complex character to play

<p> </p><p></p>Key Moves:

FC 3K and WS K These two attacks make up a large part of Yoshi's game, and it's the reason why he can be so deadly in a match. The first move is a quick low sweep that can take your opponent's feet out from under them. The second move is a rising knee that hits mid and launches them into the air. Obviously this is where the problem arises for Yoshi's opponents. Once he gets into a crouching position (via a low attack or iFC), it becomes a deadly 50/50 guessing game on whether you have to block low or block high. It's a problem to sidestep because FC 3K will hit you, and you can't dash backwards because of the range from both moves. Of course, you can also GI both attacks with a low GI, but Yoshi can also throw you from a crouch, making it even harder to guess. On top of that, both moves are extremely safe to use. The blockstun that both moves deal out is long enough that enemies cannot do anything to you at all.

1AAAAAYou know a move has to be good when it makes the character spin around like a top. For Yoshi, this multiple hitting move is a godsend for stopping sidesteppers and for his mind games. This move covers the immediate area around Yoshi, front and back. Characters who rely on their sidesteps and special moves (such as Talim) are pretty much screwed here because this move will shut them down easily. On top of that, you can always perform just 2 or 3 hits from this move and then stop to go into another move. A good tactic would be to perform 1AA and then go into one of Yoshi's special throws or a launcher if they start ducking the throw.

3B Like Kilik, Yoshimitsu's universal launcher is different from the rest of the cast. He is the only one aside from Astaroth that can actually delay his attack by holding down the button. This will allow you to catch GI-happy players off guard and launch them for a combo.

44B+KAnother safe move that Yoshimitsu can abuse without any repercussions. Also known as the trooper roll, this move will duck under all high attacks and allow Yoshi to poke at his enemies from a far distance. It's easily Yoshi's best move when he's out of his optimal range for attack, and best of all it's completely safe. Additionally, you can also tap G to roll without any attack. This puts Yoshi's in a crouched position, where he can start abusing his FC 3B, WS K games.

66B, B+K, A+B, K When the first versions of Soul Calibur 2 hit the arcades last year, this move wasn't all that great. In the first Soul Calibur game this move would allow you to launch an opponent if it hit, but it didn't in the sequel. If it weren't for the fact that you could combo this into Yoshi's Shark Attack combo, it would have no use whatsoever. However in the newer versions of the game, this move does receive its launching abilities once again, and Yoshi is the better man for it. With the first hit launching, you can now follow up with B+K and finish before your opponent even lands. From here, you enter into Yoshi's deadly mixup games. Hit 2A as soon as an opponent recovers. This will allow you to bring yourself into a crouched position in preparation for Yoshi's FC 3K or WS K game. From there, have some fun! The entire combo itself can be useful, especially if they block the first attack. Throw it out occassionally by itself to train your opponent into thinking that's all you'll do. Then once in a while use the entire combo to see if it hits. If it does hit, the final hit (a launcher) is guaranteed, and you're on your way to combo happiness.

6B+K This move is also known as the Doorknocker, and it was famous in the arcade version of Soul Calibur 1 for taking off close to 70% of your opponent's lifebar as part of a combo if it ever hit on CH. While it's not as powerful as it was back then, this move is still money in the bank for all Yoshi players. This is an excellent attack for breaking horizontals, and while it may not do as much damage as in the first Soul Calibur, it still does a lot when it connects on counterhit.

214A+B, 66A+GWhen talking about Yoshimitsu's strengths, we discussed that his throw game is almost as powerful as Astaroth's, and this is the reason why. Yoshimitsu has two special throws that require the same timing to break as Astaroth's throws. The only downside are that both of these throws can be broken with the same button (A). The upside? His B throw is the fastest in the entire game, making for yet another guessing game. All three throws offer good positions for Yoshi's wake-up game, and 214A+B also has the added bonus of being able to ring out your opponent if your back is to the ring edge. Nothing says "baited!" more than luring your opponent to the ring edge, and then dumping both of you over to win the round. <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p>Complete Moves List: